Hi!
My party participating at the entrance examination to become a member of the pathfinder society located in the grand louge in absalom.
The guide says they test the novices are tested on their skills, their mind and the have to pass magical tests.
Skills is no problem but I just cannot come up with good ideas for mind and magical tests. Especially if the person is not a caster like our rogue or the brawler.
It would be nice if you could help me a bit out.
To become an initiate shouldn't be too hard, it would be just checking if they have some basic aptitude for the job. But afterwards initiates spend several years training in the lodge before they get a chance to become field operatives. At the end of this period, if they are accepted by three Grand Lodge masters, they are given a final test tailored to the specific individuals. I'm not sure if that is the route your PCs want to take.
Another way to become a Pathfinder is through a field commission. That way can be much faster for someone who is already a trained adevnturer. To be accepted into a Pathfinder Society this way, a person needs to catch interest of a local venture-captain by making a significant discovery or performing amazing deeds relating to the Pathfinders' tenets.
To become an initiate shouldn't be too hard, it would be just checking if they have some basic aptitude for the job.
I dunno about this. Half the people who apply to become initiates fail. (Seekers of Secrets, p. 5)
For mind I'd give them some puzzles in real life or else have them make Intelligence tests to do the puzzles. I might also give them Linguistics checks to understand code.
For magic I might give them a couple wands to activate (maybe one of cure light wounds and one of silent image).
They don't have to succeed at all of the tests, so you can let them flounder a bit and them accept them, if that's your goal.
If you do give them puzzles in real life, one thing you could do is let them make INT or WIS checks to get hints.